European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jewish humor from Roth to Rivers a Phelo Woody Alan he brought la wry twist of a with humor to America mow Houim. By Maureen Dowd new York times a n 80-year-old widow goes on a Blind Dale to a drive in movie with an 00-year-Oldwidower. When she comes Home he daughter asks How it went. Terrible says the Mother. I had to slap his lace three  you mean he got fresh says the daughter.  says he Mother i thought he was  a Wink at disaster a wry twist in magic circumstances this is the essential element of jewish humor. There is a kind of sell mockery a Gallows humor that is typically  says Erica Jong the writer. Enlers academics and comedians will gather june 9 to examine jewish humor and its Impact on America when Tel Aviv University sponsors a four Day International conference at the new school for social research in new York. Jews with heir Long history of pogroms persecutions and killings have developed a sense of humor known around the world thai is one of the few positive stereotypes about  says Avner Ziv the chairman of 1he department of educational sciences at Tel Aviv University Ziv is chairman of the conference. One of the important things humor does is help you change  he said. And when reality becomes unbearable Wilh a joke you can change it for a  or As Leo Rosten the author of the Joys of yiddish and one of the speakers at the conference says of jewish humor it adores irony because the Only Way the jews could remain their sanity was to View a dreadful world with sardonic eyes " humor ii increasingly being studied at universities in the United Stales and in other countries. Historians regard it As a valuable Way to discover the essential aspects of a culture what a society believes and leaches. Psychologists Are interested in humor As a Loo to influence and explain behaviour. Zelv said professors at Tel Aviv University consciously use humor in classes because the University s research shows that students learn More this Way. There Are differences in american and israeli humor but the comedy of the two cultures has grown closer Over the years Ziv said. As an example of this Joey Russell a borscht Belt comedian who performed at the party. I old a True Story Aboul the time on a visit to Israel he ran Over a cat i m Sony he told the Man who owned the cat. Is there anything i can do mister the israeli replied without a Flicker of expression you can catch mice Tho conference will cover wide ground with sessions on jewish protagonists. Jewish mothers and jewish american princesses in the comic writing of Jong. Philip Roth Saul Bellow and Sholom Aleichem it wit of Woody Allen Sophie Tucker and Joan Grivois he cartoons of Rube Goldberg and Jules Feiffer jewish comedy in Australia and the soviet Union Jude Spanish humor As Well As Darker topics such As anti semitic jokes and the effect of the holocaust on humor. Edward Shapiro a history professor at Selon Hail University in South Orange. N.j., who has written on the subject. Said the 20thcentury had produced a Golden age Lor jewish  the influence of this wry intellectual humor he said can be seen in books movies and television. Shapiro pointed out that often jewish jokes have different meanings for jews and genl Les. And jews can see Good elements in stereotypes that seem negative he used the example of the Papular jewish american Princess jokes. Citing the one about a Man who Dies and requests thai his ashes to scattered Over Bloomingdale s department store so that his Wile will visit once in a while. On the one hand it s  Shapiro said Bui on the other it is a Tribune to the fact that jewish men Pride Iho selves on boing Good Pio viders and pampering their wives " he said humor shows  since world War it. American jews have been More forthright about Theu jewishness indicating a Security in their identity " Rotten Asid he once spent a  Reading collections of jokes irom different cultures and discovered that oddly enough jewish Rui Moi is closest to chinese Kumoi. It s probably because both cultures share certain ancient values or preoccupations the veneration of age. Ideas and Faith and an indifference to lighting or drinking As a source of  he said the Irish like jokes